After the
1884 general election, in which a number of factions were returned to the House, a brief coalition between Sir Julius Vogel and Robert Stout took office, but was immediately ousted in a confidence motion proposed by
James William Thomson. Thomson failed to form an alternative majority and advised the governor to call
Sir George Grey; Grey attempted to form a coalition with ex-premier
Harry Atkinson but was unsuccessful as Atkinson believed their followings would refuse to combine. Atkinson was then appointed Premier and attempted to come to an arrangement with Robert Stout, but failed. Within a week, the ephemeral fourth Atkinson government was unseated in another no-confidence vote, this time with the Greyites voting them down in revenge for the earlier snub. ==Ministers==